Ozoro assaults

Various social media users and commentators, including Real Warri Pikin, also reacted with anger to the viral footage.

The President-General of the Ozoro Progress Union, Asiafa Berkeley, who condemned the assaults, said they were unprecedented in Ozoro. 

Also, Joseph Usikpedo, a septuagenarian, was quoted as saying, “I don’t know what happened this year.” He explained that “Aluedo festival is a ritual we met, passed on to us by our forebears.” The last one was held three years ago, he said.  According to him, “The deity blesses the community during the festival. Women who are not fertile also get pregnant… It is celebrated to appeal to the gods for our crops to produce and our women to be pregnant, fruitful.”

The King of Ozoro Kingdom, HRM Anthony Uvietobore Ogbogbo (JP), Ibuka 1, rejected claims that the festival permits sexual assault, describing the events as a “misinterpretation and abuse” of the fertility ceremony by hoodlums. The traditional authorities insist the actions were criminal, not cultural, and the event has since been banned.

The Ozoro incidents raise questions about the boundary between cultural preservation and human rights. They illustrate several core components of objectification, which treats a person as a mere tool or object for the use or entertainment of others, rather than as a human being with rights.

A primary indicator of objectification is the belief that a person’s body is available for others to touch or use without consent.

In Ozoro, the reported physical assaults suggest a “property” mindset—where cultural tradition is used as a justification to bypass modern legal and moral boundaries regarding personal space and physical safety. This is unacceptable.

Notably, the police arrested the chief organiser of the event, identified as Chief Omorede Sunday, along with four other key stakeholders. This indicates a welcome shift toward holding traditional leadership accountable for the conduct of their festivals.

It is noteworthy that the police and organisers have conveniently blamed the violence on “hoodlums who acted on their own.” This attribution ignores the fact that the organisers were obligated to prevent the festival from descending into such criminal chaos.

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has called for a scrutiny of the “systemic gaps” that allowed these acts to occur in broad daylight without immediate intervention. This aspect must be addressed.

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Importantly, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) of 2015 is the primary legal instrument in Nigeria designed to address such scenarios. While its adoption varies by state, Delta State has its own version of the law intended to protect citizens from traditional practices that cross into criminal violence.

The VAPP Act explicitly criminalises “Harmful Traditional Practices.” This is crucial because it removes “culture” as a legal defence for violence.  Any traditional rite that causes physical, mental, or psychological and emotional harm is prohibited.

Under Section 20, anyone who performs or coordinates such a practice is liable to imprisonment or a heavy fine. The reported actions—the chasing, grabbing, and hitting of women—trigger multiple sections of the Act pertaining to both physical and sexual assault.

It was reported that women were advised to stay indoors during parts of the festival, and those found outside were targeted. When women are forced to stay indoors or are chased when they appear in public, it constitutes a “deprivation of liberty.” The law protects the right of every person to move freely without being “hunted” or coerced into hiding by a mob.

Although the situation is still evolving as the 16 suspects undergo interrogation, it is reassuring that the police are proceeding with investigations into assault, public disturbance, and sexual harassment based on video evidence and eyewitness reports. “Everyone found culpable will be held accountable,” the police spokesperson asserted.

Ultimately, the Ozoro assaults call for a policy on safeguarding cultural spaces, ensuring that traditional leaders are legally responsible for the safety of all attendees.